Plastics in Medicine and Health

Plastics have over the past century, played a critical role in our lives. Plastic has come with its ups and downs, still rocking strong. Plastic is the material provides the things consumers want and need. Plastics are used in shopping, grocery, packaging, light weighting, home construction, and more.

Modern healthcare would be a pipe dream without plastic medical products, which are often taken for granted. These include: intravenous blood bags, heart valves, disposable syringes, and the like. Thanks to the unending versatility of modern plastics, medical discoveries considered unthinkable five decades back are now ordinary. Here are some applications of plastic in medicine:

· Prosthesis: Plastic is used in the replacement of diseased body parts, they are as well used in orthopedic devices for aligning and correcting deformities. They have the ability to improve the function of movable body parts, or completely taking over the main function of a body part.

· Plastic Pill Capsules: They release the accurate dosage of a drug’s active ingredients at the appropriate time. These pharmaceuticals help preventing the need for frequently taking large amounts of pills.

· Unblocking Blood Vessels: Catheters (thin plastic tubes) are used in unblocking blood vessels. Vessel supports, made of plastic as well, are fitted in the treated artery (unblocked blood vessels), and charged with active substances.

· Hearing Aids: People with hearing impairment have had relief thanks to plastic implants that brings sound to their ears again.
Artificial Corneas: Artificial corneas of only 0.3 to 0.5 millimeters thick, flexible, and highly transparent have restored clear vision to the eyes of patients with severe eye injuries and inflammations like corneal erosion. These corneas are made of special silicone, and are very similar to the natural cornea.

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